Ozoni (お雑煮）is a traditional Japanese New Year’s dish that consists of grilled rice cakes and various vegetables, served in hot soup. There are many variations of Ozoni throughout the country, and Tokyo has its own style to celebrate the new year.
Ozoni varies depending on regions and households in Japan, but it’s generally divided into two types: miso-flavored and soy sauce-flavored. In western Japan, though not all the areas, miso-flavored soup is preferred, while clear soy sauce-flavored soup is popular in eastern Japan. During the Muromachi period, when Kyoto was the capital of Japan, the aristocracy regarded Ozoni made with round rice cakes and miso as a hospitality dish for special occasions. Initially, in Edo (present-day Tokyo), Ozoni was prepared with miso, but after soy sauce production became prominent in eastern Japan, it led to the establishment of the Edo-style Ozoni with a clear broth flavored by soy sauce.
In Tokyo, the typical Ozoni features a refreshing broth made by Ichiban Dashi, combining Kombu (kelp) and Katsuobushi (bonito flakes). It includes grilled square rice cakes along with ingredients like chicken, komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) or spinach, naruto (fish cake with a swirl pattern), shiitake mushrooms, among others. Visual differences are apparent from other Ozoni, but the most significant distinction lies in the taste, particularly the flavor of mirin. Adding mirin not only imparts a mellow quality but also enhances a subtle sweetness. The unique sweetness of Tokyo Ozoni can be considered a distinctive flavor of Eastern Japan.
A little touch to Tokyo-style Ozoni is adding Yuzu citrus peel just before serving. It’s the smell of winter in Japan, and we hope you find Yuzu when you cook this soup. There are many recipes of Osechi Ryori (New Year dishes) in our video library. If you’d like to tackle them, it’ll be great. If you prefer to just chill for New Year’s Day, making Tokyo-style Ozoni will still make your new year very tasty and special.
Tokyo Style Ozoni
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Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch spinach
- 4 Shiitake mushrooms
- 1/2 carrot thick
- 2 chicken thighs
- 8 slices Naruto fishcake or Kamaboko fishcake
- 1 Yuzu optional
- 4 Mochi rectangular
Soup
- 4 cups water
- Kombu dried kelp, 4"x 4" (10 cm x 10 cm)
- 2 handful Katusobushi dried bonito flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt adjust the amount to taste
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Sake
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Mirin
Instructions
- Blanch spinach in boiling water for a minute. Strain, and squeeze out water once it has cooled. Cut into 2" (5 cm) lengths. Set aside.
- Cut carrot into 1/2" thick rounds, then cut with a flower-shaped cookie cutter . Remove stems of Shiitake mushrooms, and cut out the top of the mushrooms to form a star design (please watch the video). Cut chicken into large bite-size pieces. Slice Naruto fishcake into 1/4" thick (6 mm). Slice just yellow part of skin from Yuzu, and cut very thinly. Set all aside.
- Make the soup. Put water in a pot, add Kombu, and start heating over low heat. Just before boiling, remove Kombu. Add Katsuobushi, and leave for a minutes. Strain out the Katsuobushi, and then add the remaining of the seasonings for the soup.
- Add prepared carrot, mushrooms, and chicken to the soup. Let simmer so that the vegetables and meat are cooked through. Remove any scum coming up to the surface of the soup. Keep it warm at low heat.
- Meanwhile, bake the Mochi in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes until it expands and turns golden brown.
- Add Naruto fishcake in the soup in the end and let it warm for a minute.
- Place Mochi in soup bowls, divide up all the vegetables and meat, and pour the soup over. Top with Spinach and Yuzu skin. Serve immediately.
